SURVIVAL RATES AND PROGNOSIS FACTORS OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER STAGE-I

Background: Since the introduction of the new PICO classification for endometrial cancer, there have been few studies evaluating the prognos is of endometrial cancer on the basis of this new classification. Mate rials and Methods: For a total of 514 patients with endometrial cancer stage I who had been treated from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 199 1 and followed up until January 7,1993, a reclassification on the basi s of the new FIGO system was undertaken and a multivariate analysis ca rried out to identify prognosis factors on the basis of the Cox Propor tional Hazard Model. Results: The 5-year survival rate at FIGO stage I a is 92.4%, at FIGO stage Ib 96.7%, and at FIGO stage Ic 88.2%. Accord ing to the PICO classification, 14.6% belonged to stage Ia, 44.6% to s tage Ib, and 40.8% to stage Ic. In spite of the large number of invest igated cases, the FIGO subclassification Ia-Ic showed in a multivariat e analysis no statistical difference between stage Ia and Ib concernin g prognosis. On the other hand, grading (odds ratio 3.3), type of ther apy (odds ratio 2.2), and age at diagnosis proved to be highly signifi cant prognosis factors. Conclusions: The evaluation of 514 endometrial cancers shows that the subclassification at FIGO stage I using the Co x Proportional Hazard Model cannot be identified as a significant prog nosis factor except stage Ic. The study shows that despite of the larg e number of documented cases, the prognostic differences between stage s Ia and Ib are too small to be distinguished by using the Cox Proport ional Hazard Model.